A scroll compressor is a certain type of compressor that is used to compress refrigerant for such applications as refrigeration, air conditioning, industrial cooling and freezer applications, and/or other applications where compressed fluid may be used. Such prior scroll compressors are known, for example, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,530 to Hasemann; U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,551, to Kammhoff et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,070 to Kammhoff et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,046 to Kammhoff et al., all of which are assigned to a Bitzer entity closely related to the present assignee. As the present disclosure pertains to improvements that can be implemented in these or other scroll compressor designs, the entire disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,398,530; 7,112,046; 6,814,551; and 6,960,070 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
As is exemplified by these patents, scroll compressors assemblies conventionally include an outer housing having a scroll compressor contained therein. A scroll compressor includes first and second scroll compressor members. A first compressor member is typically arranged stationary and fixed in the outer housing. A second scroll compressor member is movable relative to the first scroll compressor member in order to compress refrigerant between respective scroll ribs which rise above the respective bases and engage in one another. Conventionally the movable scroll compressor member is driven about an orbital path about a central axis for the purposes of compressing refrigerant. An appropriate drive unit, typically an electric motor, is provided usually within the same housing to drive the movable scroll member.
In some scroll compressors, it is known to have axial restraint, whereby the fixed scroll member has a limited range of movement. This can be desirable due to thermal expansion when the temperature of the orbiting scroll and fixed scroll increases causing these components to expand. Examples of an apparatus to control such restraint are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,335, issued to Caillat et al., the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Further, many conventional scroll compressors are designed such that gaseous refrigerant will enter the compressor, flow over the electric motor therein, through passages of a bearing housing referred to in the industry as a “crankcase”, to ultimately enter the compressor members for compression. The crankcase is typically press fit in the housing. The passages in the crankcase are positioned at an outer periphery of the crankcase such that the crankcase is in intermittent contact with the housing.
In such a conventional configuration, the electrical contacts and other temperature sensors are often times positioned within the passages for space conservation purposes. These contacts and sensors are coupled to their appropriate connector counterparts such that the connection thereof extends through a sidewall of the housing. At the region of these connections, a terminal box or other housing encloses the same on the exterior of the housing. One example of the electrical contacts and their associated housing can be seen at U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,111, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety.
However, the aforementioned passages are typically equally spaced about the circumference of the crankcase, and are relatively small. As a result, only a single item, e.g. an electrical contact or sensor, can be located in each passages. As such, multiple terminal box enclosures are required on an exterior of the housing to protect each connection point. Alternatively, a very large terminal box that captures several connection points is sometimes used. In either case, the cost of the scroll compressor increases, and its aesthetic appearance is diminished.
The present invention is directed towards improvements over the state of the art as it relates to the above-described features and other features of scroll compressors.